Manchester United Thread

Dunno what to think of Utd. I predicted a title challenge at the end of the last season. Since then you've splashed 150/200m, depending on how you view the Falcao deal, so, even before looking at the names, logic would dictate I'd be right. Yet, from the halfway line back you look a shambles and, just looking at the personnel, barely top half material. How does that happen?
Di Maria is a sensational signing but Falcao, as good as he is, doesn't really increase Utd's attacking threat (which is better Rooney+RVP+Mata+Di Maris or Falcao+RVP+Rooney+Di Maria?) in the same way Falcao to Arsenal would for Arsenal (so, from a City pov, I'm happy about that)

All the threat against Leicester came from Di Maria, the way he picks up the ball and just runs straight at the opposition is scary, but I didn't watch the QPR game. However, I did watch the Spurs-QPR game and QPR put in one of the worse PL performances I've seen for some time.

ATM, I'm thinking you're gonna struggle to get CL but then Liverpool don't look that much better overall, despite looking more balanced. Could see them drawing quite a few games whereas Utd will either win or lose. The latter tends to be better but you've already lost 2 without playing anyone.

October and November are going to be interesting times for Utd fans, probably the most interesting few months for nearly 2 decades
 
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Gotta say I'm still optimistic. Yes we got blown away by team Clattenerg (brings to mind his Chelsea performance against us too, when we brougth back a banner spoofing the Terry one) and imploded similar to the probably worse decision to send Nani off a few years back. But, for the 150 minutes of football before that we were genuinely fantastic to watch.

Leicester had only taken 1 shot before their penalty - a beautiful header from a half-volleyed, out of bounds cross. It's hard to legislate for that. And we had created loads of chances.

We're already playing better football, and with a less biased referee we probably honestly win that match, and people are talking about the renaissance. We can't get Clattenberg'd every week, so I remain cautiously hopeful. Our defence needs reinforcements, but should be ok to only ship 2 goals per match, and we'll be looking to score 3.

Final rant du jour - where is the uproar at Vardy cheating to win a penalty? Here's a true English gent, who has played real football in the 4th tier, but still puts his body outside of the ball and goes to ground as if shot. I don't understand, where are the replays? Where's the MOTD uproar? Where are the articles in the Mail and the Sun?
 
Blaming Clattenburg alone is delusion.

I've heard a Dutch pundit about LVG.
At every club or other job ( Last Holland job) where he was overachieving, he had a very difficult start. He searches for a plan B and that is the key to future success (for example bringing in Thomas Muller, Alaba and other youth at Bayern).

I'm pretty sure it will all come good.
 
gerd said:
Blaming Clattenburg alone is delusion.

I've heard a Dutch pundit about LVG.
At every club or other job ( Last Holland job) where he was overachieving, he had a very difficult start. He searches for a plan B and that is the key to future success (for example bringing in Thomas Muller, Alaba and other youth at Bayern).

I'm pretty sure it will all come good.
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Agree and disagree. Penalties change matches, and 2 of their goals came from penalties that shouldn't have been given. You can't just ignore that in the context of the match. It's the reason that for football to ever be a 'fair' sport decided by the athletes rather than the ref, we need replays on all penalty decisions. Nothing in pro team sports changes a result more than pens in football, and the system at present is arbitrary.

United should have had a pen each against S'land and Burnley. Clear pens too, but you also see them not given. Had we got those two and not got the two incorrectly against Leicester, we could potentially be almost at the top of the table. That's how big those 4, 2-second decisions are.

Other option is take away penalties for sh*t like Vardy's foul. If the player isn't actually in a position to score, then give an indirect free kick. That would partly solve the problem.

But for me the sport is almost broken at the moment. So many matches are being determined by one goal from a penalty, and you never know when you'll get a penalty. Good example - watch Ryan Shawcross 'mark' someone on corners. He literally bear hugs his opponent, and often tackles them to the ground. That's not a penalty. But touching big man Vardy when he himself initiates the contact is a penalty.

Basically refs have no f*cking clue. The powers that be should give them replays and clear instructions, and the sport will become more fair. At present the best tactic you can have to win a match is try to get in the box as often as possible, and go to ground as often as possible. There are teams doing this and succeeding. Not naming names, but one team in the prem last year had - on average - a penalty every 3 matches. That's more or less an extra goal every 3 games. That makes a HUGE difference. Were they all contentious? Absolutely not. Were lots of them in the 'seen them given' range? Absolutely.

/rant
 
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So in an update that will shock noone, here's the status of our first team centre backs:

Smalling - injured
Evans - injured
Jones - injured
Blackett - suspended
Rojo - never played a match at CB for us

So when we lose 4-3 to WHU and everyone blames LVG, at least keep in mind literally our entire defence is broken. As always.

We need to start only paying wages when players are fit. Those 3 'young' defenders are stealing a living.
 
So we're playing with one defender next? That's nuts.

Then we have no choice but to play fit ones from the reserve team.
 
Smalling, Jones and evans have always been injury prone and will continue to be so. No blame attached to them because some players are just like that. What irritates me is the fact no one seemed to identify this a major problem and actually recruiting centre backs in the summer.
 
----------------DDG--------------
-----Rafael-----Rojo----Shaw-----
-Valencia-----------------Di Maria--
----------Herrera-Blind----------
---------------Rooney------------
----------Falcao---RVP-----------

Looks secure!
 
Very unusual to have that many injured in the same position. I think the best form of a defense is possession and attack! Blind can play at the back w/ Rojo. Valencia n Ashely wing backs. Sussed! Oh I forgot about £27m Shaw. Where's the other £27m player Afro ?
 
bebo said:
Very unusual to have that many injured in the same position. I think the best form of a defense is possession and attack! Blind can play at the back w/ Rojo. Valencia n Ashely wing backs. Sussed! Oh I forgot about £27m Shaw. Where's the other £27m player Afro ?
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Injured. Like Carrick too, otherwise I'd move Blind back there.
 
Godotelli said:
Being without almost all of your CBs would be unlucky at pretty much any other club. At Utd it's idiocy.
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Hard to disagree. We've topped the injury league or been second (thanks Arsenal!) for the past 4 years.

We took a gamble on spending c. 15m on 'potential' in defenders who are English instead of spending 20m to buy 'ready' players, who are 24/25 and have shown an ability to actually play some football matches in a row each year.

And that gamble has backfired.

You can't football matches if you have to change your back 4 literally every match. Simply doesn't work that way.
 
I'd say we just go Hail Mary on West Ham. Or put RvP in defense. He s good at clearing balls and stronger than most of our actual defenders and gasp.. Much less injury prone.. Imagine that.
 
Never got why Thorpe wasn't the youth player promoted. He's been excellent for years, captained both the ressies and I believe the England U21s too. But never got a look in under Fergie/Moyes/Van Gaal to date.

Think he's a level above Blackett and M. Keane. Whether things will work for him in the prem, that's another question.

Hope to see players in their natural positions tomorrow: Rafa - Thorpe - Rojo - Shaw.

My worry would be that Smalling didn't break himself til Thursday, so unlikely Thorpe will have trained much with the first team :(
 
I like that LVG isn't putting square pegs in round holes, the chance for youth is a good thing.

Hopefully Thorpe has a good debut.
 
beachryan said:
Never got why Thorpe wasn't the youth player promoted. He's been excellent for years, captained both the ressies and I believe the England U21s too. But never got a look in under Fergie/Moyes/Van Gaal to date.

Think he's a level above Blackett and M. Keane. Whether things will work for him in the prem, that's another question.

Hope to see players in their natural positions tomorrow: Rafa - Thorpe - Rojo - Shaw.

My worry would be that Smalling didn't break himself til Thursday, so unlikely Thorpe will have trained much with the first team :(
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YoungGun_UK said:
I like that LVG isn't putting square pegs in round holes, the chance for youth is a good thing.

Hopefully Thorpe has a good debut.
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So my wish came true :D
 
Rooney single handedly denying Falcao another chance to get his first goal by forcing LVG to sub an attacker. :BORED:

Edit: FFS and now Herrera injured. Can't get a freaking break so far this season. Holding on to this will be critical for confidence imho.
 
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Hot Damn I can't take this shit. Come on.. :PRAY:

Thank God. Once again some seriously dubious reffing. Wtf was up with adding almost 2 min On top of the 4 min of official injury time?
 
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I think some of it was because of the delay for the free-kick where Adrián got carded for handball.
 
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